enemies faster than friends. You
know me then?"

"I was with Maxwell at Germantown," the remembrance of the scene coming
vividly to mind, "when you came up with your ragged fellows. You have
certainly taught them how to fight."

"There was no teaching necessary; all the trouble I ever have is in
holding them back," his face darkening. "Every man who rides with me
knows what war means here in the Jerseys; they have seen their homes in
flames, their women and children driven out by Hessian hirelings. We
fight for life as well as liberty, and when we strike we strike hard. But
enough of that. We have sufficient confidence in each other by now to
talk freely. What did you discover in Philadelphia? No more than I could
tell you myself, I'll warrant."

I told the story, while he listened silently, his eyes alone expressing
interest. As I ended, he slowly lit his pipe, and sat there smoking,
apparently thinking over what I had said.

"Have I learned anything of importance?" I asked finally.

"For Washington, yes; but very little unknown to me. So you met Mistress
Claire, eh? The little minx! 'Tis a month since I heard of her."

CHAPTER IX

TANGLING THREADS

My surprise at this unexpected reference to the Lady of the Blended Rose,
almost prevented utterance. What could this partisan ranger know of the
girl? How could he even have identified her from my vague reference?

"Why do you say that?" I asked eagerly. "I did not mention the lady's
name."

"There was no cause for you to do so," and the grim mouth smiled. "No one
else in Philadelphia would have turned the trick so neatly; besides the
fact that your opponent was Grant would have revealed the identity of the
girl."

"You know them both then?"

"Fairly well; he was a boy in these parts, an' I have shod his riding
horse many a time. A headstrong, domineering, spoiled lad he was, and
quarrelsome. Once I gave him a sound thrashing in this very shop, an'
when his father called me to task for it the next day he went home with a
broken collar-bone. That was ten years before the war, an' we have not
spoken pleasantly since. A hard man was Frederick Grant, an' none of his
blood ever forgave an injury. Once the boy's company of Queen's Rangers
raided this shop, but fortunately I was not here."

"But Mistress Mortimer," I interrupted, "is her family also from this
neighborhood?"

"To the northeast of here, near Locust Grove; the properties of the two
famili